Quick Links

JPMA Supports Research That Educates Parents on Safe Sleep Practices for Baby

February 18, 2011

JPMA, a non-profit association dedicated to promoting the industry and the safe selection and use of juvenile products, supports peer reviewed research that raises awareness of crib and sleep environment safety for parents.

JPMA reminds parents of how important it is to carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions, recommendations and restrictions on all sleep related products to ensure the safest environment possible. In fact, a recent study from the American Academy of Pediatrics mentions, "Caregivers need to be aware of their important role in the correct use of cribs and related products, such as checking routinely for compromised structural integrity of the crib and keeping track of their child’s developmental milestones to assess the changing risks of injury."

Each year hundreds of deaths occur when children are placed in a sleep environment that is not specifically designed for children. The safest place for a child is in a fully functional, properly assembled crib or other sleep environments specifically designed for children.

JPMA has an ongoing concern of babies being placed to sleep in an unsafe sleep environment, and has instituted a comprehensive safe sleep campaign to help educate parents and caregivers on creating a safe sleep environment for babies. Safety resources for parents include brochures, videos, messages through Twitter and Facebook and a website solely dedicated to safe sleep - www.cribsafety.org . This ongoing education effort is so important to helping parents understand the substantial increased risks with putting a child to sleep in an unsafe environment.

One injury is too many when it comes to our nation’s children, which is why the crib industry has been very involved in creating the new crib regulation, providing tremendous technical and manpower resources to assist in this effort.

In addition to educating parents, JPMA consistently communicates safety messages to other important audiences, including retailers, media and partners, and we look forward to working with all stakeholders, with an interest in the health and well-being of children to disseminate accurate safety information about childcare.